The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1887-05-04


q temporary boom of personal popularity
by airing his eloquence at the recent New
England dinner, picturing the magnanimity
of the New South toward the colored race,
extolling its fervid devotion to the laws OF
the country. and appealing to the North to
recognize the patriotism of that section and
emulate it. Mr.. Grady was particularly
enthusiastic in his description of the New
South, and pictured the roseate existence
of the negro under the new order OF things
in vivid colors.
Mr. Grady thereby built very large
boom for himself, and achieved such a
sudden popularity that his name was even
mentioned in connection with the national
ticket of his party. There were many peo-
Pile in the North who took n great deal of
stock in his New South, but somehow or
other the market has turned against them
and steadily declined until New South is
no longer quoted. Scarcely day passes
that something does not turn up showing
that it is the same Old South after all.
One of these incidents happened the other
day. A middle-aged colored man, respect
able in dress and behavior, purchased a
first class ticket from Chattanooga to At
lanta, and took his seat i'll the car. What
resulted is told in the dispatch as follows:
Conductor Ferguson at once approached
him and ordered him to 60 into the colored
car. Il will not do it, replied the negro;
Il have a first-class ticket TO Atlanta, and
will not submit to discrimination. The
conversation was listened to by the other
passengers, and as soon as the conductor
stepped out three young men approached
the negro, saying: Here, coon, get out OF
this car One of the men grabbed the ne
gro's cane and dealt him heavy blow on
the head. In an instant the negro, who
had wonderful strength, was rolling over
the three young men on the floor of the
coach. The conductor endeavored to save
the Objectionable passenger from the in
dignity to which he was being subjected.
but the train slowing up at Dalton the
negro was showed out in the dark and left
standing in ditch"
This little affair occurred in the most in
telligent portion Of Mr.. Grady's New South,
not in the Old South of Mississippi or Ala
would have resulted in something worse
than being pounded by three rufhans and
thrown into ditch. 1t was in that sec
ton where, according to Mr.. Grady, there
are the kindest feelings toward colored
men; where no color line is drawn; where
the two races get along together harmoni-
ously and even affectionately; and where
the laws of the country are re-
spected. Prejudiced Northern men, how
ever, will fail TO see any radical
difference between the New South and the
Old South, or discriminate between their
methods of treating the negro. II may be
that the New South is boiling over with
affection for him, but it has a strange way
of showing it. If this were n single in =
stance it might be regarded as exceptional,
but unfortunately episodes of this kind are
common-so common, indeed, that Mr..
Gradys New South boom is in danger of
utter collapse.
1t is some compensation that the colored
man has his remedy. Civil-rights le2isla-
ton cannot help him, because civil rights
are not recognized in the New South; but
he will sue the road for damages under the
interstate commerce law, which expressly
provides that there shall be no discrimina-
ton against any person. The New South
may deny that this colored man is first
class passenger-though he is first class
by q large majority in comparison with
some of the whites who travel in that sec
tion-but it can hardly deny that he is O
person and maintain it before a court, even
in the New South. Mr.. Grady says there
is a great deal of justice there, and, OF
course, the negro will get the damages from
the road which he deserves. but this does
not affect the humbug about the New
South which Grady so eloluently spouted
amid the fizzing of champagne and the APP
plause of his auditors. Chicago Tribune